Student-Management Collaborative Learning Through the Use of Wiki
...............................................................Shyam Sharma (accompanied by 2-3 of his students), University of Louisville Abstract
This digital poster, a component of which I am building in Prezi flash slides (see draft ), will demonstrate how student groups in a business writing course collaborated on a writing project highly independently by using group wikis. The poster will illustrate how matching the right pedagogical approach with the right collaborative technology made students' team-based writing greatly group-directed and effective. The pedagogy for the writing project was adapted from Joanna Wolfe's book Team Writing. Students were first trained to create and use task schedule and team charter as well as trained on teamwork activities like floating meeting agenda, recording minutes, and documenting project progress. Gradually, the instructor only played the role of a facilitator, but every group made their own decisions about content, form, process, and problem-solving involved in the completion of the collaborative proposal and the presentation in class. This digital poster--along with the non-digital assets--will show how the combination of a pedagogical approach and a technology made the difference.
Highlight: a group of students who did the assignment will be at the event and will share their experience Materials:
Prezi slide : includes screenshots, descriptions, and students' reflection on the assignment
Teaching Materials (they are "anchored" further below on this page)
1. the assignment ................................2. feedback/assessment rubric3. teaching materials........................................................4. student reflection
5. sample student paper (available on site)...........6. downloadable slide (bottom of page)
Plan B: a poster (on a stand), includes the assignment, materials, rubric, rationale etc
visitors preferring digital materials can leave their email address, or visit this site
==================TEACHING, GRADING, AND OTHER MATERIALS=============
1. Group Project Assignment (Engl. 306: Business Writing, Summer 2009) 07/10/2009 Overview/Rationale
In view of the fact that teamwork skills are of paramount importance in the workplace today, this project assignment is designed to help you practice collaborative work in a business-like setting. It is also meant to give you the opportunity to implement ideas and skills of business communicationthat you read and practice throughout the term, including project management and teamwork skills. Project Description
Suppose that you and your group work for a travel agency which specializes in international travel packages for college students. At this time, you are working with two or three other travel and tourism specialists in your unit on a 2 week-long, 3 country tour for Spring Break 2010, mainly targeting UofL undergraduates as your potential customers. Assume that your instructor is the travel agency’s business manager to whom your team should first submit a 5-7 page long project proposal in the process of getting his approval before you go on to sell the travel package to your potential customers. Parts of the Project
WORK
Description
due
credit
Group’s Project Proposal
5-7 pages
day of group presentation
5 points
Quality of Collaboration and Materials
(rubric given later)
indicated on class schedule
5 points
Group’s Presentation of Project in Class
20 minute
class presentation
day your group presentation
10 points
1. Group Proposal
Your group must present a business proposal that includes details—introduction, itinerary, budget, project management, how you will promote, etc—to the instructor. The proposal is what you write to inform and convince your boss about the viability of the project. It is a document that is independent from the slides and other media that you create for the presentation in class at the end of the term. 2. Group Presentation
Separate from the in-house proposal written to be read by the manager, the group presentation is a promotional exhibition that your group will make before the class (your potential customers). Your group will collaboratively develop and deliver the project by using appropriate media (PowerPoint slide, audio, video, web site, real objects, etc), and drawing whatever information is relevant to your “customers” from the proposal you submitted to your “manager.” 3. Materials for Group Presentation and Collaborative Process Materials The quantity and quality of process materials (including task schedule, team charter, meeting agenda and minutes, and update messages, which you must post on/via your group space—wiki, blog, file exchange, discussion forum, chat, and via email) and the quality and effectiveness ofmaterials you develop for group presentation will be given 5 grade points, so your group should collaborate and work hard on this area of the project as well. All process materials must demonstrate effective collaboration; presentation materials must also show that your group coordinated well for doing research, presenting information with both substance and quality, and making use of everyone’s creative and imaginative contribution in order to make the package saleable to customers. All materials must be posted in appropriate places on Bb, as instructed in class. Go to top of page===================================================
2. Rubric for Peer Feedback and Teacher Assessment of the Business Proposal
Use this rubric for analyzing the proposal of the group as provided. top of pageCheck “yes” or “no” wherever applicable, and answer at least ten questions in detail (20-100 words) for this homework to be considered for full credit.You get credit for the quantity/quality of comments, as well as benefit from the comments you get from others. Note that I will use this rubric to assess your work.
yes
no
explanation/suggestion
GENERAL
What in this draft is done well?
What one aspect do you suggest this group must further work on/improve?
How far does it seem the group has understood the project assignment?
Refer to the relevant section of the assignment description if necessary.
Does this draft fulfill “substance” requirement?
Does the draft present information from the perspective of the project, and not just facts?
Does the group seem to write for the manager ?
COLLABORATION
Does this team seem to have collaborated well on this document?
Does the proposal cover all aspects of the proposal?
Any other comments?
RESEARCH
Is there a Works Cited section?
Are sources cited and documented properly?
Is the information borrowed from outside sources properly integrated with the ideas of the proposal?
Do you think that the group has conducted sufficient research on each of the sections?
Has the group used authentic sources of information?
WRITING
Is this writing presented in the form of a proposal?
Does the whole text sound like a proposal, and is it organized that way?
Does the proposal begin with a good preview of the entire document in the introduction?
Does the document have clear sections?
Is the document visually designed for quick and convenient access?
Is the conclusion effective? Does it reinforce the key points or answer questions you had?
Are all the sections in the proposal relevant to the project?
Is there sufficient substance in the body sections? What section seems to need more content/quality?
Is there too much substance? If yes, what deserves to go first?
IDEA/INGENUITY
What one idea or plan sounds most attractive to you in this draft?
What is not so ingenious, if any?
Do you think that the plans/ideas as outlined in this draft will add to the salability of the travel package?
How well do the plans take the audience and their possible concerns into consideration?
Does this document show the application of strategies of effective communication,
including you-attitude, reader-benefits, positive emphasis?
OTHERS
Any other comments about any other areas of the project, including special attractions
and travel themes, cost and extra money students, clothing and accommodations,
language and customs, food and language, currency and other travel issues,
transportation and luggage, security and safety issues, entertainment
and other activities, budget and feasibility, and possible objections?
Go to top of page =====================================================
Take notes on your team’s overall project goals, then ask members to define their own goals.
Take notes about each member’s talents, goals, expectations
Who is good at keeping time, who is experienced with managing tasks, and who might be best with coordinating the work of the members?
Who is good at finding information, doing research, designing web pages,leading the group presentation, making the oral presentation effective?
Talk about how much each member wants to invest, what skills each member wants to learn/improve. (Also talk about whether there are any of you have potential limitations/restrictions on time, and whether you want to settle for a negotiation with other members? (uncover differences now)
Talk about goals that everyone agrees on; break them down (make them measurable)
Who would like to be the project manager?
How will your team coordinate tasks for when members work outside of class? How do you want to optimize the use of limited time given in class?
How will your group resolve conflicts/roadblocks?
How will you handle missed deadlines?
What constitutes unacceptable work to your group and how will you handle it?
Post your Team Charter on your wiki as a separate file named "Team Charter"—and assign one member to keep updating it.
Use this Chart to Develop Your Group's team charterJuly 16, 2009 Team Members: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Broad Team Goals Measurable Team Goals Personal goals, motivations, contributions Individual Commitment, limitations, differences, etc Resolving conflicts Missed Deadline Unacceptable Work Other concerns
B. Developing Your Task Schedule
Start by brainstorming and listing the work to be done for the project (review the assignment once more) Add contribution value to the list of work so it becomes an assignment worksheet
Then, enter dates, which is the third essential column in a task schedule (see the meeting days and descriptions in the course schedule, and the days when project related assignments are due in the homework column)Remember to ask what members are most motivated to do, then ask them to contribute what they can best do
Talk about the secondary contributor for each area (to reallocate work or help the primary person when needed)
Remember to keep padding time, especially at crucial stages in the process (like turning in the final proposal, finalizing and rehearsing the presentation) POST THE DRAFT ON A WIKI PAGE NAMED “OUR TASK SCHEDULE”—and assign one member to keep updating it.(use the following table if you prefer to jot down notes on paper first)
When
Who
What
Status Update
Comments
08/11
group
class presentation
ready
post on Bb
C. Floating Meeting Agenda
The project manager must collect, prioritize, and float meeting agenda before each group meeting indicated in the class schedule (and for any meeting your group may organize outside class). (See Wolfe reading for sample and detail)
Let one member collect the agenda that you floated for each meeting and post them in a separate wiki page linked from the home page, titled “Meeting agenda.”
The project manager must assign another member to take meeting minutes/notes and post/update them on your wiki, in a separate page titled "Meeting Minutes." Consider using the following table to take/post minutes. Again, let one member post all the minutes in a separate wiki page titled “Meeting Minutes” and linked from your group’s home page.
agenda
discussion/decision
action items/for next time
IMPORTANT: Process materials--team charter, task schedule, meeting minutes/agenda--posted as wiki pages will earn credit to the student who created the page; other members may contribute. Go to top of page
=======================================
4. STUDENT REFLECTION ON THE GROUP PROJECT (top of page)
Student 1. I usually don’t like to work in groups but this project made me a better team player. Sometimes it was a hard assignment but it was also interesting.
Student 2. Never before I had ever heard of a project manager, creating a task schedule, taking meeting minutes and keeping a meeting agenda. It helped to keep us organized and on track with our work.
Student 3. The group project was fun because …we were able to improve our ability to manage an assignment between several people.
Student 4. I used to like work alone, but this time, I learned that working as a group can yield results that I could not ever think of alone.
Student 5. I feel that I have become more comfortable with computers since taking this course. I had never used wiki or a blog program such as that before and I got a good understanding of how to use it and actually put it to good use in our group work. Technology and I do not usually get along, but this class has made me more comfortable.
Student 6. I think that the biggest thing that I will take from this class is communication. This probably seems obvious considering the class, but the new communication techniques that I’ve learned are what will stay with me. The focus on group work in this class has developed some new ideas that will be useful outside of class and in the business world. One idea that I had not come across before now was the different ways to complete group work. I had never come across the layered group work before this class and I think it will be quite a useful process to implement in other groups that I work in. I also think that the idea of project management is key to successful work amongst group members. This wasn’t a topic that I had given much thought to in the past. Now I think that there is almost no point to having a group without it. Project management streamlines the production of work and maintains efficiency throughout the group so that everything can be completed. I now have a solid foundation for the tools that can be used to promote project management. The Team Charter, Minutes, and Task Schedule are all used to convey ideas between group members and to keep everyone updated on what happens next.
Student 7. This was the most practical class I have taken in my coursework so far. Thank you for a great experience.
Student 8. My favorite thing about the class was doing and preparing for the group project.… The wiki sites were the best thing I had ever used for group work and I hope this catches on with other professors for other classes because it’s a wonderful tool and extremely useful.
Student 9. The most valuable thing that I will take from the course would be how to organize a group project, not only saying that this person will do this and another person will do that but how to do it in such a way that deadlines can be met and that any issues that might arise will be dealt with. In my group, we divided most of the work in a layered style, then did other parts by dividing. I think this style worked very good it gave us the opportunity to work to gather as a group while also putting each individuals strengths to use.
Student 10. At first, I was quite apprehensive about having to do a group project that would account for 20% of the grade. As it turned out, however, the project gave me the knowledge that I will need to succeed in the professional world…. The amount of effort that my group put into the project was phenomenal. Each member brought his own unique ideas to the table which allowed us to experiment with different ideas to receive a good grade. We were also able to successfully divide group work in an effective manner such that no member did too much work, but also let each member thrive in an area that he excelled in. We were able to bounce off of each others’ successes in order to succeed as a team. ===================================================top of page
Student-Management Collaborative Learning Through the Use of Wiki
...............................................................Shyam Sharma (accompanied by 2-3 of his students), University of LouisvilleAbstract
This digital poster, a component of which I am building in Prezi flash slides (see draft ), will demonstrate how student groups in a business writing course collaborated on a writing project highly independently by using group wikis. The poster will illustrate how matching the right pedagogical approach with the right collaborative technology made students' team-based writing greatly group-directed and effective. The pedagogy for the writing project was adapted from Joanna Wolfe's book Team Writing. Students were first trained to create and use task schedule and team charter as well as trained on teamwork activities like floating meeting agenda, recording minutes, and documenting project progress. Gradually, the instructor only played the role of a facilitator, but every group made their own decisions about content, form, process, and problem-solving involved in the completion of the collaborative proposal and the presentation in class. This digital poster--along with the non-digital assets--will show how the combination of a pedagogical approach and a technology made the difference.
Highlight: a group of students who did the assignment will be at the event and will share their experience
Materials:
- Prezi slide : includes screenshots, descriptions, and students' reflection on the assignment
- Teaching Materials (they are "anchored" further below on this page)
1. the assignment ................................2. feedback/assessment rubric3. teaching materials........................................................4. student reflection5. sample student paper (available on site)...........6. downloadable slide (bottom of page)
==================TEACHING, GRADING, AND OTHER MATERIALS=============
1. Group Project Assignment (Engl. 306: Business Writing, Summer 2009) 07/10/2009Overview/Rationale
In view of the fact that teamwork skills are of paramount importance in the workplace today, this project assignment is designed to help you practice collaborative work in a business-like setting. It is also meant to give you the opportunity to implement ideas and skills of business communicationthat you read and practice throughout the term, including project management and teamwork skills.
Project Description
Suppose that you and your group work for a travel agency which specializes in international travel packages for college students. At this time, you are working with two or three other travel and tourism specialists in your unit on a 2 week-long, 3 country tour for Spring Break 2010, mainly targeting UofL undergraduates as your potential customers. Assume that your instructor is the travel agency’s business manager to whom your team should first submit a 5-7 page long project proposal in the process of getting his approval before you go on to sell the travel package to your potential customers.
Parts of the Project
class presentation
Your group must present a business proposal that includes details—introduction, itinerary, budget, project management, how you will promote, etc—to the instructor. The proposal is what you write to inform and convince your boss about the viability of the project. It is a document that is independent from the slides and other media that you create for the presentation in class at the end of the term.
2. Group Presentation
Separate from the in-house proposal written to be read by the manager, the group presentation is a promotional exhibition that your group will make before the class (your potential customers). Your group will collaboratively develop and deliver the project by using appropriate media (PowerPoint slide, audio, video, web site, real objects, etc), and drawing whatever information is relevant to your “customers” from the proposal you submitted to your “manager.”
3. Materials for Group Presentation and Collaborative Process Materials
The quantity and quality of process materials (including task schedule, team charter, meeting agenda and minutes, and update messages, which you must post on/via your group space—wiki, blog, file exchange, discussion forum, chat, and via email) and the quality and effectiveness ofmaterials you develop for group presentation will be given 5 grade points, so your group should collaborate and work hard on this area of the project as well. All process materials must demonstrate effective collaboration; presentation materials must also show that your group coordinated well for doing research, presenting information with both substance and quality, and making use of everyone’s creative and imaginative contribution in order to make the package saleable to customers. All materials must be posted in appropriate places on Bb, as instructed in class.
Go to top of page ===================================================
2. Rubric for Peer Feedback and Teacher Assessment of the Business Proposal
Use this rubric for analyzing the proposal of the group as provided. top of page Check “yes” or “no” wherever applicable, and answer at least ten questions in detail (20-100 words) for this homework to be considered for full credit.You get credit for the quantity/quality of comments, as well as benefit from the comments you get from others. Note that I will use this rubric to assess your work.Refer to the relevant section of the assignment description if necessary.
Does the whole text sound like a proposal, and is it organized that way?
including you-attitude, reader-benefits, positive emphasis?
and travel themes, cost and extra money students, clothing and accommodations,
language and customs, food and language, currency and other travel issues,
transportation and luggage, security and safety issues, entertainment
and other activities, budget and feasibility, and possible objections?
Go to top of page =====================================================
3. TEACHING MATERIALS (top of page)
A. Developing Your Team Charter- Start by reviewing the project assignment.
- Take notes on your team’s overall project goals, then ask members to define their own goals.
- Take notes about each member’s talents, goals, expectations
- Who is good at keeping time, who is experienced with managing tasks, and who might be best with coordinating the work of the members?
- Who is good at finding information, doing research, designing web pages, leading the group presentation, making the oral presentation effective?
- Talk about how much each member wants to invest, what skills each member wants to learn/improve. (Also talk about whether there are any of you have potential limitations/restrictions on time, and whether you want to settle for a negotiation with other members? (uncover differences now)
- Talk about goals that everyone agrees on; break them down (make them measurable)
- Who would like to be the project manager?
- How will your team coordinate tasks for when members work outside of class? How do you want to optimize the use of limited time given in class?
- How will your group resolve conflicts/roadblocks?
- How will you handle missed deadlines?
- What constitutes unacceptable work to your group and how will you handle it?
Post your Team Charter on your wiki as a separate file named "Team Charter"—and assign one member to keep updating it.Use this Chart to Develop Your Group's team charterJuly 16, 2009 Team Members: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Broad Team Goals
Measurable Team Goals
Personal goals, motivations, contributions
Individual Commitment, limitations, differences, etc
Resolving conflicts
Missed Deadline
Unacceptable Work
Other concerns
B. Developing Your Task Schedule
Start by brainstorming and listing the work to be done for the project (review the assignment once more) Add contribution value to the list of work so it becomes an assignment worksheetThen, enter dates, which is the third essential column in a task schedule (see the meeting days and descriptions in the course schedule, and the days when project related assignments are due in the homework column)Remember to ask what members are most motivated to do, then ask them to contribute what they can best do
Talk about the secondary contributor for each area (to reallocate work or help the primary person when needed)
Remember to keep padding time, especially at crucial stages in the process (like turning in the final proposal, finalizing and rehearsing the presentation)
POST THE DRAFT ON A WIKI PAGE NAMED “OUR TASK SCHEDULE”—and assign one member to keep updating it.(use the following table if you prefer to jot down notes on paper first)
C. Floating Meeting Agenda
The project manager must collect, prioritize, and float meeting agenda before each group meeting indicated in the class schedule (and for any meeting your group may organize outside class). (See Wolfe reading for sample and detail)
Let one member collect the agenda that you floated for each meeting and post them in a separate wiki page linked from the home page, titled “Meeting agenda.”
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
D. Meeting Minutes
The project manager must assign another member to take meeting minutes/notes and post/update them on your wiki, in a separate page titled "Meeting Minutes." Consider using the following table to take/post minutes. Again, let one member post all the minutes in a separate wiki page titled “Meeting Minutes” and linked from your group’s home page.Go to top of page
=======================================
4. STUDENT REFLECTION ON THE GROUP PROJECT (top of page)
Student 1. I usually don’t like to work in groups but this project made me a better team player. Sometimes it was a hard assignment but it was also interesting.Student 2. Never before I had ever heard of a project manager, creating a task schedule, taking meeting minutes and keeping a meeting agenda. It helped to keep us organized and on track with our work.
Student 3. The group project was fun because …we were able to improve our ability to manage an assignment between several people.
Student 4. I used to like work alone, but this time, I learned that working as a group can yield results that I could not ever think of alone.
Student 5. I feel that I have become more comfortable with computers since taking this course. I had never used wiki or a blog program such as that before and I got a good understanding of how to use it and actually put it to good use in our group work. Technology and I do not usually get along, but this class has made me more comfortable.
Student 6. I think that the biggest thing that I will take from this class is communication. This probably seems obvious considering the class, but the new communication techniques that I’ve learned are what will stay with me. The focus on group work in this class has developed some new ideas that will be useful outside of class and in the business world. One idea that I had not come across before now was the different ways to complete group work. I had never come across the layered group work before this class and I think it will be quite a useful process to implement in other groups that I work in. I also think that the idea of project management is key to successful work amongst group members. This wasn’t a topic that I had given much thought to in the past. Now I think that there is almost no point to having a group without it. Project management streamlines the production of work and maintains efficiency throughout the group so that everything can be completed. I now have a solid foundation for the tools that can be used to promote project management. The Team Charter, Minutes, and Task Schedule are all used to convey ideas between group members and to keep everyone updated on what happens next.
Student 7. This was the most practical class I have taken in my coursework so far. Thank you for a great experience.
Student 8. My favorite thing about the class was doing and preparing for the group project.… The wiki sites were the best thing I had ever used for group work and I hope this catches on with other professors for other classes because it’s a wonderful tool and extremely useful.
Student 9. The most valuable thing that I will take from the course would be how to organize a group project, not only saying that this person will do this and another person will do that but how to do it in such a way that deadlines can be met and that any issues that might arise will be dealt with. In my group, we divided most of the work in a layered style, then did other parts by dividing. I think this style worked very good it gave us the opportunity to work to gather as a group while also putting each individuals strengths to use.
Student 10. At first, I was quite apprehensive about having to do a group project that would account for 20% of the grade. As it turned out, however, the project gave me the knowledge that I will need to succeed in the professional world…. The amount of effort that my group put into the project was phenomenal. Each member brought his own unique ideas to the table which allowed us to experiment with different ideas to receive a good grade. We were also able to successfully divide group work in an effective manner such that no member did too much work, but also let each member thrive in an area that he excelled in. We were able to bounce off of each others’ successes in order to succeed as a team. ===================================================top of page
5. Sample Paper
(available in hard copy on site)=======================================
top of page**6. Sample slide (click to download)